May 23, 2012

Following an outstanding
college career in which he was part of the 1983 National Championship team and
caught 59 passes for 1114 yards and 9 TDs in ‘84, Brown was chosen by the
Bengals in the first round of the 1985 NFL draft (13th overall). The
retirement of 12-year WR Isaac Curtis opened a starting spot across from fifth-year
veteran Cris Collinsworth, and Brown moved immediately into the lineup.

Bengals went 7-9 to finish
second in the AFC Central.while placing third in the NFL in total offense (5900
yards), fourth in passing offense (3717), and third in scoring (441 points).

Aftermath:

Having added to Cincinnati’s explosive
passing offense as a rookie, Brown accumulated 58 catches for 964 yards in
1986. Following the strike-interrupted ’87 season, he had his best year in
1988, catching 53 passes for 1273 yards (24.0 avg.) and 9 TDs as the Bengals
advanced to the Super Bowl. Brown was named to the Pro Bowl and received
first-team All-NFL recognition from the NEA, second-team from the Associated
Press, and was a first-team All-AFC selection of Pro Football Weekly and UPI. Brown
played another three years before a neck injury cost him the entire 1992 season
and effectively ended his career. While criticized for dropping passes on
occasion, his big-play ability was undeniable. Over the course of his seven
seasons with the Bengals, Brown caught 363 passes for 6134 yards (16.9 avg.)
and 41 touchdowns.

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were named Rookie of the Year in
the NFL, AFL (1960-69), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization
(Associated Press – Offense or Defense, Newspaper Enterprise Association,
United Press International, The Sporting News, or the league itself – Pepsi NFL
Rookie of the Year).